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Washington files suit alleging RealPage and landlords colluded to push rents higher; tenant describes 50% increase
Summary
Washington state filed a King County Superior Court lawsuit accusing RealPage and nine landlords of using shared data and an algorithm to inflate rents; a Seattle tenant said his rent rose more than 50% in late 2022 and the attorney general's office said about 800,000 leases may have been affected between 2017 and 2024.
An unidentified representative of the attorney general's office announced that Washington filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court on behalf of the state against software company RealPage and nine local landlords, alleging violations of the Washington State Consumer Protection Act and coordinated efforts to push rents upward.
The unidentified office representative said the complaint alleges RealPage provides software that lets landlords share sensitive, non-public competitor information that feeds an algorithm "that favors higher rents," and that "every step of their pricing method favors setting rents at the very top of the market, artificially pushing that ceiling higher." The office described the conduct as price-fixing and said it is seeking restitution for people harmed by the practices.
The office estimated that about 800,000 leases in Washington were priced using RealPage software between 2017 and 2024 and said analysis shows properties managed by landlords using RealPage had higher prices and lower occupancy than comparable properties that did not use the software. The representative said the state withdrew from a prior multistate federal case to pursue a broader state-court theory that could reach more Washington tenants and provide greater remedies.
Seattle tenant Chris Vialpando described his experience as an example of the alleged harm. Vialpando said he lived in a Lower Queen Anne one-bedroom since October 2020 and that "Beginning 12/01/2022, my rent was increased over 50% without any alternatives or options for deferment." He told the press that the increase was determined using RealPage software, that he struggled to get help from his property manager, and that the added costs caused emotional and financial hardship.
During a question-and-answer session, reporters asked what evidence supports claims of illegal price-fixing. The unidentified office representative pointed to material laid out in the complaint and to discovery gathered in the prior federal litigation, saying the complaint documents coordination, shared models and practices, and landlord participation with RealPage.
Asked how tenants might get restitution or participate in the case, the office representative said investigators have already identified many people affected and promised to provide public information about how impacted tenants can be involved as the litigation proceeds.
The office framed the lawsuit as part of a broader effort to protect renters in a state facing shortages of affordable multifamily housing, saying the litigation aims both to obtain restitution for harmed tenants and to deter unlawful coordination in rental pricing. The press conference concluded with the office reiterating that it will pursue the case in state court and provide updates for those who may be eligible to participate.
